GOP attempting new media = FAIL
Posted on Monday, November 24th, 2008
I remember back in 2004, while working with the Bush campaign out in Nevada, getting in to constant arguments with the Nevada GOP about web activism, new media, and the need to integrate it with the party.
In fact, I had stayed up two nights in a row to design and develop a website that would rally conservatives in Washoe County to get out the votes for Bush. My website was located at washoerepublicans.com, the official website was located at washoerepublicans.org.
I had created the website, with full intentions of giving it to the GOP so they could use it to help get Bush elected. I was young, excited, and thrilled to have designed a state of the art website unlike anything the Nevada GOP had ever seen. Granted, the site was terrible when compared to today’s standards, but back then it was a pretty good attempt at building a tool that could foster online community.
In fact, this is what the Washoe Republicans had at the time… this is what I was providing.
One would think that the GOP would have been excited about this new site, especially considering the fact that a 24 year old kid walked in off the street and built it for free, right?
Wrong.
Instead, Jane Maxfield, a terrible excuse for leadership, called the Bush campaign guy and demanded that I immediately remove the website. You see, Maxfield couldn’t fathom the idea that someone had built and understood a platform that utilized the power of the web without the GOP having a say or understanding of it themselves. So instead of embracing my actions and integrating it into their plans, they kicked me to the curb and insulted my work for them.
That was my first time volunteering for the Nevada GOP, and from that day on I felt like I was at constant war with them when it came to engaging new, young individuals to be politically active while using the internet to organize.
But that was 2004… surely things have changed, right?
Well, yes and no. Yes, because the GOP at least acknowledges a need for online infrastructure/organization/activism. No, because the GOP still believes this is a realm they need to control.
Note to GOP… you cannot control new media. The second you think you can is the same second you FAIL.
Today I found, via Leslie Carbone, another prime example of the GOP establishment’s complete failure to understand new media. For the record, I believe that it can be seen as innocent to misunderstand something such as new media, but I also believe that if you refuse to admit you lack the understanding, and instead assert yourself king of the realm, you FAIL.
As you can see, the Virginia GOP establishment, along with several key GOP insiders, have committed the ultimate new media sin. They did this by attempting to inject themselves into the Virginia blogosphere as a dominate resource that, according to them, will be the “ONLY major Republican blog in all of Virginia”.
This ultimate FAIL action was committed by the Hampton Roads GOP. While they’ve since changed the language on their website and removed the assertion of being the “ONLY” major Republican blog in all of Virginia, they still have what I would consider offensive comments.
Such as “Yes there are numerous blogs on the web currently; however, we are a venue for Republicans.”
What is that supposed to mean? Is BearingDrift not a venue for Republicans? Is it just one of those “numerous blogs on the web”?
BearingDrift, in fact, called Hampton Roads GOP out on this.
There are two ways the Hampton Roads GOP could have responded to this.
A) The right way
HRGOP should have written a post of apology, admitting it was badly worded and admitting that they should have worked with the Virginia blogosphere as a network of people looking to promote free-market conservatism.
b) The wrong way
HRGOP should enter the comment war happening on the post, dig their heels in, and defend their pitiful attempt to assert themselves king of new media in Virginia.
The HRGOP chose to go with option B. Read through the comments on the post at Bearing Drift and you’ll see what I mean.
The GOP has a hard lesson to learn here. In summary, that lesson is that you can never, under any circumstance, control new media. You can’t control the message, you can’t control the technology, and you can’t control the people. You can’t “use” new media, and you can’t make it push your agenda.
And you can never, NEVER insult the blogosphere and then expect it to embrace you.
The real trick is to roll your sleeves up and immerse yourself. Don’t claim to be a “professional”. Instead, claim to be someone wanting to learn and build relationships. Work to develop networks and build friendships. Work to help people trust you.
Then, and ONLY then can you launch a website and integrate it safely in to the center-right blogosphere. As an individual you can do whatever you like, but as an organization with a partisan agenda, you have everything to lose.
And in this case, HRGOP… you lost.
As a final parting note, I would like to offer this last list of ideas. When pitching yourselves as “A project of the Republican Professionals Network”, you should probably be professional enough to consult with actual bloggers to ensure you know the following.
1) A site built by Yahoo Hosting is not ground breaking in new media. In fact, it’s rather archaic.
2) A site with no RSS feeds that claims to be a “blog”… really?
3) A “Helpful Links” page that doesn’t link to a single Virginia blog is not really helping your pledge of being a new media source
4) If you’re going to ask me to volunteer, perhaps you should tell me what I’m volunteering for, and what I can do to help.
5) You should really have a phone number somewhere on your website
6) Admit you were wrong, get over it, and move on
Nuff said…
-Eric Odom
My favorite part…
“Further, we welcome good ideas on how to do more. One great idea that has been suggested to us by Senator Ken Cuccinelli and SCC Member Keith Damon is to create a Virginia Internet Republican Committee (VIRC).”
More bureaucratic committees = a good idea? Are you kidding me?
Might as well just say “Sir, may I have another?”
I read the original article.
Your response is spot on! It hurt to read your words and I have no connection to the HRGOP. That and $5 and I can get a cup of coffee at Starbucks! It still hurt …
One hopes the powers that be will get a clue.
Great post!
Yeah, it is sad. It reminds me of an experience over a year ago.
The Downtown Omaha Business Improvement District (a fancy name for a ‘committee’ that basically taxes downtown businesses in order to pretty up the area) wanted their website redone. It had originally been built using my old php-based homegrown CMS system. Now, my system had a lot of flaws (it was 2002 php3 tech), but it was functional.
When they came to us, they stated emphatically that they ‘want a blog on the site.’ We were just starting out working with Joomla 1.0, so we proposed using that. “We don’t care what you use. We want a blog.”
Silly me asked the question “Why?”
“Because we hear that’s the way to get traffic to our site.”
“Do you know what a blog is?”
“No, but we want one.”
“Do you know what sort of things you will write about in the blog?”
“No, but we hear they are popular, and we want traffic to our site.”
“Are you going to enable comments in your blog, so the general public can comment on what you are writing about?”
“Oh no. We can’t risk having someone say something bad about us on our web page…but we want a blog.”
Continue this conversation for another 10 minutes…In the end, they decided to go to a third party vendor because we were being ’stubborn’ and ‘unresponsive to their needs’.
Go to http://omahadowntown.org...
1) The site is in Joomla 1.0.
2) No blog.
3) They are a government entity and the site is not ADA compliant.
And that, folks, is what you end up with when you have a committee and a bunch of politicos who don’t have a clue what new media is all about.
Thanks for the link, Eric. How ’bout a Virginia SamSphere??
[...] Eric Odom at #dontgo Movement makes some great points: The GOP has a hard lesson to learn here. In summary, that lesson is that you can never, under any [...]
I agree with Leslie. A Virginia SamSphere would be great.
[...] the same lines, Eric Odom points out the fundamental mistake that Republicans seem to be making when it comes to eCampaigning: The GOP has a hard lesson to learn here. In summary, that lesson is that you can never, under any [...]
Ahhh, yes, the thrilling days of yesteryear. Washoe County Nevada GOP had it ass handed to them. The Nevada State GOP had its ass handed to them. The pompous State GOP leaders have sunk to irrelevance in the upper and lower houses. The state I considered “The Last Free State” is now poised to become East California. And still the Nevada Republican establishment will not change its ways.
I think the leadership of the Republican party is really just a pale version of the Democrat party. ‘We’ have copied so much of the mechanics of party processes that it is no wonder we lose.
Consider, we let liberal members of the media ask the questions at the Republican debates, we only let Gov Palin talk to liberal news media (until she went on H&C).
We use the Dem’s process for convention and primary process.
We need to have input into the party platform, and we have to reform the voting process. I am convinced that there is massive fraud in the vote that benefits the Dems at the expense of Republicans. I really don’t think real Republicans wanted Sen McCain for our candidate. With him the Democrats couldn’t lose, the country would either elect a democrat or a socialist.
We need change. I pray the next RNC chair will have the vision needed (BTW - Mehlman wasn’t bad).
Agreed. The GOP is broken, and I have this sinking sensation that it may not be fixed until our generation begins to hold the reins.
[...] . . . between the GOP and New Media. [...]
“Help campaigns and local parties build online movements ”
Is one of the suggestions on the rebuild the party website, but it sounds like they just want to use use the site solely to raise money versus any social networking:
http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com/pages/general/suggestions/64671
“Set recruitment goals for online activism and fundraising for Congressional and Senate campaigns: 5,000 activists and $100,000 for each Congressional race and 7,500 activists and $150,000 per Congressional district in each Senate race”
I agree the GOP has got to get a grip, but not all of it is going to come from 20 somethings, being 52 and very active online (granted I do not know all the withs and wherefors) and I am in total agreement with the “change is needed” idea. The old media is lost to conservatives, most my age are busy working and paying for college kids and not active. That is the key activitity - involvement - knowing that their voice and talents and energy DO matter and will make a difference. Staying connected, forgetting the old adage “never talk politics and religion” - SCREAM IT FROM THE HIGHEST ROOF TOPS! I love the young voices and the ideas and the intellengents, and yes we do need for many of the old blood to just go home! Just rambling…….
What’s sad to me is the lack of political will and the common misconception that “someone else will do it.” I say NO. No one else will do it. You all need to get up off the couch, turn off useless Fox News and GET TO WORK. If you can’t afford to write a check, volunteer at your local GOP organization. Get in there and see if anything is actually being done. Is there a member list? Regular mailings to them? Regularly planned events? Is there no organization in your area? Start one. Develop future leaders or run for office and become one yourself. Work to raise money for worthy candidates and work on their campaigns WHETHER OR NOT they have a good chance of winning. Every election is an opportunity to change hearts and minds. I hate to sound like a liberal, but do SOMETHING. Activism isn’t just for the lefties.